Joomla!

All about Joomla!

If you have questions about Joomla! or how it works, explore our FAQ accordion and clear up your key concepts in a simple, visual, and interactive way.

What is Joomla!?

Joomla! is an open-source Content Management System (CMS) that makes it possible to create, manage and extend websites in a flexible, structured and professional way.

It is developed as free software and provides an extensible architecture that makes it possible to adapt the site to different needs through components, modules, plugins, templates, custom fields and other tools, without having to modify the Joomla! core.

It can be used for both simple websites and corporate, institutional, educational and community projects, content portals, intranets, online stores and more complex web applications.

What is a CMS and why choose Joomla!?

A CMS makes it possible to manage the content of a website —texts, images, documents, users, menus and other elements— from an administration interface, without having to write code for routine publishing tasks.

Joomla! combines ease of administration with advanced tools that make it possible to develop more complex content structures when a project requires them.

This combination makes it suitable both for projects managed directly by end users and for developments carried out by professionals who need greater control over content, permissions, presentation and integrations.

Main advantages of Joomla!

Open source: Joomla! is free and open-source software distributed under the GNU GPL license.
Extensible architecture: its capabilities can be expanded through components, modules, plugins, templates and other extensions.
Customization without modifying the core: its template, layout and override system makes it possible to adapt the site's presentation and behavior while maintaining a structure suitable for future updates.
Advanced content management: articles, categories, menus, modules, tags and other elements can be organized through a flexible structure.
Scalability: it can be used for both small websites and portals with large amounts of content, users and functionality.
International community: Joomla! has developers, contributors, translators and users from different countries who actively participate in the project.
Extension ecosystem: thousands of extensions are available to add new functionality without having to develop everything completely from scratch.

Advanced features included in Joomla!

In addition to standard content publishing features, Joomla! includes advanced tools that make it possible to build and manage sites with complex structures.

Multilingual management: makes it possible to create sites in multiple languages, associate equivalent content and manage menus, modules and other elements according to language.
Access Control (ACL): provides an advanced system for defining user groups, access levels and permissions for different actions and areas of the site.
Custom Fields: make it possible to extend the information stored in articles, users and other supported content.
Workflows: make it possible to define publishing processes with different states and review stages.
User management: includes registration, authentication, groups, permissions and different access control mechanisms.
Templates and overrides: make it easier to customize the presentation of the site without directly modifying Joomla!'s main files.
Web Services and API: make it possible to integrate Joomla! with external applications and services.
Accessibility tools: Joomla! includes features designed to make it easier to create and manage accessible websites.

Thousands of extensions to expand Joomla!

One of Joomla!'s main strengths is its extension ecosystem. The Joomla! Extensions Directory (JED) brings together thousands of extensions developed to expand the capabilities of the CMS.

Among the features that can be added through extensions are:

E-commerce: online stores, payments, digital products, inventories and order management.
Forms: contact forms, registrations, surveys and customized processes.
Newsletters: mailing list and email campaign management.
Downloads: management and distribution of documents and digital files.
Communities: forums, user profiles, groups and social tools.
Galleries and multimedia content: images, video, presentations and other visual resources.
Bookings and calendars: systems for events, appointments, accommodation and other services.
SEO and structured data: additional tools for optimizing how content is presented to search engines.
Security and administration: complementary tools for maintenance, backups, monitoring and site protection.
Integrations: connections with external services, commercial platforms, APIs and third-party applications.

The extension ecosystem makes it possible to adapt Joomla! to very different needs while maintaining a common administration and development foundation.

Security, updates and performance

Joomla! is maintained through updates that include bug fixes, compatibility improvements, new features and security updates.

The security of a Joomla! site does not depend solely on the CMS. It also requires keeping installed extensions and templates up to date, using appropriate configurations, controlling user permissions, creating backups and following good administration and hosting practices.

Joomla! also provides caching and optimization tools that can be used together with appropriate server configuration to improve site performance.

SEO and search engine visibility

Joomla! includes different tools that help prepare content properly for search engines.

Search engine friendly URLs.
Custom aliases.
Configurable page titles.
Meta descriptions.
Metadata and indexing options.
Tagging system.
Redirect management.
Hierarchical structure through categories and menus.

These features can be complemented with specialized extensions to implement additional capabilities such as structured data, XML sitemaps, Open Graph and other optimization tools.

Alamarte's experience with Joomla!

At Alamarte Ingeniería, we work with Joomla! to develop, manage and maintain websites adapted to different needs.

Our work includes Joomla! configuration and customization, extension development and adaptation, integration with external services, multilingual sites, optimization, maintenance and other tasks related to the Joomla! ecosystem.

The flexibility of the CMS makes it possible to develop customized solutions while maintaining a manageable and extensible structure as the requirements of each project evolve.

Official Joomla! resources

For additional information, documentation and extensions, you can consult the project's official resources:

What are extensions in Joomla!?

Extensions in Joomla! are software packages that make it possible to expand, modify or complement the features of the CMS. Some are part of the Joomla! installation, while others can be installed later to add new capabilities to the site.

Thanks to its extensible architecture, Joomla! can be adapted to very different projects without having to modify its core. It is possible to add e-commerce, forms, download systems, galleries, SEO tools, integrations with external services and many other features.

Joomla! recognizes eight types of extensions: five common types —components, modules, plugins, templates and languages— and three additional types —libraries, files and packages—.

The eight types of extensions

Components: provide the main functionality of a page or application.
Modules: display blocks of content or functions in template positions.
Plugins: react to events and modify or extend Joomla!'s behavior.
Templates: control the visual presentation of the Site or Administrator.
Languages: provide translations of interface text.
Libraries: contain reusable code that can be used by other extensions.
Files: make it possible to install individual files in specific Joomla! locations.
Packages: group several extensions so they can be installed together.

1. Components

Components normally provide the main functionality of a page in Joomla!. When a menu item is accessed, the central part of the page is usually generated by a component.

A component can include functions for both the Site and the Administrator area and can be responsible for managing information, forms, processes and complete views.

For example, com_content is the component included in Joomla! for managing and displaying articles.

More information about components in the Joomla! documentation

2. Modules

Modules are blocks of content or functionality that can be displayed around the main content generated by a component.

They are normally assigned to positions defined by the template and can be configured to appear only on specific pages.

Menus, login forms, custom content, featured articles or additional information are common examples of functions that can be displayed through modules. An example included in Joomla! is mod_menu.

3. Plugins

Plugins extend Joomla!'s behavior by reacting to events that occur while the system is running.

For example, a plugin can intervene when content is processed, a user is authenticated, information is saved, a search is performed or another action for which Joomla! provides an event is executed.

Unlike a component or module, a plugin does not need to generate a visible block on the page by itself. Its function can be performed entirely in the background.

4. Templates

Templates control the visual presentation of Joomla!. They define the overall structure of the page, the positions available for modules and much of the site's appearance.

A template can be used to customize elements such as typography, colors, spacing, navigation and content layout.

Joomla! uses templates for both the Site and the Administrator and also provides mechanisms such as overrides and child templates to make customizations without directly modifying the CMS core.

5. Languages

Language extensions contain translations of the text used by Joomla! and compatible extensions.

Language packages use files that associate language keys with the text Joomla! should display in each language and can include translations for both the Site and the Administrator.

Installing a language makes it possible to translate the interface, but it does not automatically translate articles or other content created by the user. To create a multilingual site, it is also necessary to configure the content, menus, associations and other elements corresponding to each language.

6. Libraries

Libraries contain reusable code that can be shared by different parts of Joomla! or by several extensions.

This makes it possible to centralize common functions and prevents each component, module or plugin from having to include the same code again.

A library does not normally present content directly to the visitor, but instead provides functionality that other extensions use internally.

7. Files

The File extension type makes it possible to install one or more files in a specific location of a Joomla! installation.

It is one of the least commonly used extension types and is intended for situations where it is not necessary to create a component, module, plugin or another conventional extension type.

For example, it can be used to install custom scripts in the command-line directory (cli) or specific files intended for a particular location on the site.

8. Packages

Packages make it possible to group several extensions so they can be installed together in a single operation.

A package can contain different types of extensions. For example, a solution can include a component, several plugins, a module and a library that work together.

In addition to simplifying installation, Joomla! can manage both the package and the extensions it contains, making it easier to distribute solutions made up of several related elements.

Installing extensions

Joomla! provides different methods for installing extensions from the Administrator. Depending on the extension and the site configuration, installation can be performed through:

Uploading an installation package.
A folder available on the server.
An installation URL.
The Install from Web feature, which provides access to extensions available in the Joomla! Extensions Directory.

Before installing a third-party extension, it is advisable to check its compatibility with the Joomla! version being used, its source, maintenance, documentation, license and update policy.

Joomla! Extensions Directory

The Joomla! Extensions Directory (JED) is the official directory of extensions for Joomla! and makes it possible to find solutions organized by categories and functionality.

The JED includes both free and commercial extensions developed by numerous providers within the Joomla! ecosystem.

Go to the Joomla! Extensions Directory

Resources for further learning

Joomla! Glossary

This glossary brings together some of the most commonly used terms in Joomla! and explains their meaning in a simple way, both for users who are beginning to work with the CMS and for those who need to become familiar with its administration.

Joomla! terminology has evolved over time. Some concepts used in older versions have disappeared or been replaced by more flexible systems, especially in content organization, user permissions and extension development.

The following definitions use, whenever possible, the terminology corresponding to current versions of Joomla!.

ACL (Access Control List): Joomla!'s access control system, which makes it possible to determine which actions each user group can perform and which content or elements it can view. Permissions can be configured globally and also for components, categories or individual items.

Administrator (Back-end): Joomla!'s administration interface, normally accessible through the /administrator path. From there, content, users, menus, modules, extensions, configuration and other site functions are managed.

Administrator: User group included by default in Joomla! with permissions to access the Administrator and perform numerous management tasks. Its specific permissions depend on the site's ACL configuration.

Alias: Identifier used mainly to build search engine friendly URLs. Joomla! can generate it automatically from the title of an article, category, menu item or other content.

Archived: State that can be assigned to an article to remove it from normally published content without deleting it. Archived articles can be displayed through the corresponding views or modules.

Configuration file: The configuration.php file located in the root of the Joomla! installation. It contains essential site configuration parameters and data that must be properly protected.

Article: Main content unit managed by the com_content component. An article can belong to a category or remain as uncategorized content.

Alt attribute: HTML attribute used to provide alternative text for an image. It is especially important for accessibility and can help search engines understand visual content.

Author: Default user group that, with Joomla!'s standard permissions, can log in to the Site, create articles and edit its own articles. These permissions can be modified through ACL.

Back-end: Term commonly used to refer to the Joomla! Administrator, that is, the interface from which the site is managed.

Banners: Component included in Joomla! that makes it possible to manage banners, clients and categories, as well as record impressions and clicks when these options are enabled.

Database: System where Joomla! stores much of the site's information, such as articles, categories, users, menus, modules, parameters and extension records.

Blog: Type of presentation used to display several articles, normally with an introduction and access to the full content. Joomla! includes blog views for categories and featured articles.

Cache: Mechanism used to temporarily store already processed information and reduce the work required to generate certain parts of the site again. Proper configuration can improve performance.

Category: System used to organize related content. In current versions of Joomla!, categories can be nested within one another, so they do not depend on the old section structure.

Check-out / Check-in: Locking and unlocking system used to prevent two users from editing the same item simultaneously. When an item is being edited, it remains locked until it is saved, closed or released through the global check-in system.

Open Source: Development model that allows source code to be viewed, used, studied and modified in accordance with the terms of its license. Joomla! is distributed as free software under the GNU GPL license.

Component: Type of extension that normally provides the main functionality of a page. For example, com_content manages articles and com_contact manages contacts.

Global Configuration: Area of the Administrator where general site parameters are set, such as site name, offline status, SEO, server configuration, cache, permissions and other global settings.

Featured content: Article marked to appear in specific featured article views, according to the menu items and configuration used.

Uncategorized content: Article that is not assigned to a specific category. In practice, it replaces some uses that in very old versions were referred to as “static content”.

Mass Mail: Administrative function that makes it possible to send email messages to registered users by selecting them through groups.

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets): Language used to define the visual presentation of HTML documents: colors, typography, sizes, spacing, layout and adaptation to different devices.

Editor: Default user group that, with the standard configuration, can create articles and edit both its own articles and those created by other users, but cannot publish them.

WYSIWYG Editor: Visual editor whose name comes from What You See Is What You Get. It makes it possible to create and format content without writing HTML code directly.

Menu item: Entry belonging to a Joomla! menu. A menu item can display an article, category, component, URL or another type of view and plays an important role in the navigation and routing system.

Extension: Software that expands or modifies Joomla!'s capabilities. The recognized types are components, modules, plugins, templates, languages, libraries, files and packages.

Third-party extension: Extension developed by a person or company independent of the Joomla! project and installed additionally in the CMS.

Front-end: Part of the site used by visitors and users. In current Joomla! terminology it is also commonly referred to as the Site, in contrast to the Administrator.

Workflow: System that makes it possible to define states and transitions to control the editorial process of articles, for example from creation through review and publication.

User group: Set of users to which permissions can be assigned. A user can belong to one or more groups.

Media Manager: Joomla! tool used to manage images and other multimedia files available for site content.

Language: Type of extension that contains the strings required to display the Joomla! interface in a particular language.

Content Language: Setting used on multilingual sites to identify the language to which content belongs. It should not be confused with the installed language used to translate the interface.

Installer: Administrator system used to install extensions. Joomla! supports installation through a ZIP package, folder, URL and, when available, through the Install from Web feature.

Joomla!: Open-source Content Management System (CMS) that makes it possible to create and manage websites through an extensible architecture based on components, modules, plugins, templates and other types of extensions.

Manager: User group included by default in Joomla! that has access to the Administrator with limited management permissions according to the ACL configuration.

Menu: Set of menu items used to define navigation structures and routes within the site.

Meta description: Descriptive text that can be associated with a page or content and that search engines may use as a description in their results.

Module: Type of extension used to display small blocks of content or functionality. Modules can be assigned to template positions and limited to specific pages.

Multilingual: Joomla!'s ability to manage a site with content in multiple languages through Content Languages, associations, menus, modules and language filters.

Access Level: System that determines which user groups can view specific content or an item. For example, Joomla! includes default levels such as Public, Guest, Registered and Special.

Override: Presentation override that makes it possible to modify the HTML output of certain component or module views from a template, without directly editing the original Joomla! or extension files.

Package: Type of extension that makes it possible to group several related extensions so they can be installed together.

Template: Type of extension responsible for much of the visual presentation of the Site or Administrator. It defines structure, module positions and styles.

Child Template: Template that inherits the files and features of another template and makes it possible to apply customizations while keeping its own modifications separate.

Plugin: Type of extension that responds to events generated by Joomla! to extend or modify the system's behavior.

Publisher: Default user group that, with standard permissions, can create and edit articles and also change their publication state.

Redirects: Joomla! system used to direct old or nonexistent URLs to new addresses, helping to prevent broken links and errors when reorganizing content.

Registered: Default user group for people who have logged in to the Site. Additional permissions depend on the groups to which the user belongs and on the ACL configuration.

SEF (Search Engine Friendly): Refers to search engine friendly URLs. Joomla! provides options to generate more readable URLs and use URL rewriting.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Set of techniques intended to improve a site's understanding and visibility in search engines. Joomla! includes tools such as aliases, meta descriptions, page titles and SEF URLs.

Site: In Joomla!, the term used to identify the public application or front-end, as opposed to the Administrator.

Super Users: Default group with the highest level of privileges. Users belonging to this group can perform practically any administrative action in Joomla!, regardless of other permissions.

Tag: System that makes it possible to relate and classify content using shared terms, regardless of its main category.

Search engine friendly URL: Web address structured to be more readable for users and search engines. Joomla! can generate SEF URLs from the menu structure and aliases.

User: Account registered in Joomla! that can belong to one or more groups and receive permissions and access levels according to that membership.

Historical Joomla! terminology

When consulting old Joomla! or Mambo documentation, terms may be found that no longer correspond to the way current versions work.

Static content: term used in older versions for content that did not belong to the usual section and category structure. Joomla! currently uses articles and categories, including uncategorized articles.
Section: former upper level used to organize categories. Joomla! now allows nested categories and no longer uses sections.
Mambot: term historically used for what was later called a plugin.
Super Administrator: former name of the group with the highest privileges. Current versions use Super Users.
CMT / CMTM: acronyms formerly used to group Components, Modules, Templates and Mambots. They are not part of current Joomla! terminology.
mosMainBody(): function belonging to the architecture of Mambo and early versions of Joomla!. It is not used in the current template system.
DOMIT: former PHP library used for XML processing. It is not part of Joomla!'s current architecture.
Polls: Joomla! formerly included a polls component, but it is not part of the core in current versions.
Web Links: was a component included in previous versions of Joomla!. It should not be confused with current URL-type menu items.

These terms may still appear in tutorials and historical documentation, but they should not be used to describe current Joomla! administration.

Official resources

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Last Updated: 26 August 2026 Hits: 63

Joomla!

All about Joomla!

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